Welcome to the Blog of Dr. Bonnie Rothwell

Some Dental “Insurance” Plans are Just Schemes

Posted on October 15, 2025 by writeradmin.

I am hoping to get six porcelain veneers. I want to be smart about it because I know these are expensive. I recently found a Colonial Dental Plan that by paying $350 dollars for the plan. I can not only get free dental check ups, but also a 20% discount on dental procedures, including porcelain veneers. That leaves me with 15 in-network dentists from my area. If I sent you this list, is there a way you can point me in the direction of which dentist on this list would be best?

Maxine

Dear Maxine,

Most of these “insurance” plans are more like marketing schemes. They convince dentists to provide free dental check-ups and discount their services, then charge you $350 and pocket that. Now one of the things you need to ask yourself is why a dentist would give out those free appointments and discount their services when they are not getting any money from the insurance agency.

I know a lot of dentists, so this isn’t just coming from one. Dentists get these sales pitches all the time. They tell the dentists they can fill their empty chairs. Now, not all dental insurance plans are schemes, but a great many are. Sometimes those chairs are empty because the dentist is not skilled enough to keep patients around.

I am going to tell you that there are countless cosmetic dentistry horror stories by patients who’ve had their smile end up worse because of an unqualified dentist. In fact, a large portion of business for skilled cosmetic dentists is repairing disastrous work by other dentists.

When you’re doing a smile makeover, you’re not paying for porcelain veneers as much as you are the skill of the cosmetic dentist. Just like two artists can paint the same painting with completely different results, so it is with smile makeovers. You want to find the best cosmetic dentist you can to do your porcelain veneers. Believe me, that is worth the 20%. I would look to see if someone on that list you have is AACD accredited. Be aware that this is more than just being a member. Anyone can be a member. It takes a significant amount of skill to become accredited. That is who you want doing your smile makeover.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

Touching Up My Teeth

Posted on September 1, 2025 by writeradmin.

I’m getting dental crowns put on my front teeth and I would like to touch up my teeth. I used to whiten regularly but haven’t had as much time Lately. However, I don’t want to get crowns put on permanently without first getting my teeth the color I want. My dentist can’t really tell me how long to whiten to get them back where they were. Do you have any guidance for me. Is there a certain amount of days/weeks that I need to whiten? What about the number of hours each day. Also, is there a required period of time between whitening and when it is okay to get the dental crowns?

Angela

Dear Angela,

There is a general principle with teeth whitening that I can give you, but not specific “wear it for this long for this many days” type of instructions. The basic principle is that the longer you wear the gel, the faster your teeth will whiten. You will get the fastest results by wearing the aligners overnight, but it’s not required.

If you wear them for a short time each day, then you’ll have to whiten for more weeks. If you wear them a long time each day, then you will end up needing to wear them for fewer weeks. The one thing that does have a definitive time period is the time between when you stop whitening and when you have your porcelain crown is placed.

Even after you stop whitening your teeth, the oxidation will continue to whiten your teeth for up to two weeks after you stop using the gel. After that period of time, the color will have settled and you can plan your porcelain crowns.

I will tell you that I am a bit concerned that your dentist could not explain this to you. Teeth whitening is one of the easiest of cosmetic procedures a dentist can do. Putting dental crowns on front teeth is one of the more advanced of procedures a dentist can do. If teeth whitening is tricky for him, you may be better off finding an expert cosmetic dentist to do your crowns.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

How Long Can I Put Off a Root Canal Treatment?

Posted on August 11, 2025 by writeradmin.

My dentist said that I need a root canal treatment. Right now, it doesn’t hurt at all. I’m swamped with school and work. Is there a rule of thumb for how long you can put off a root canal treatment?

Temperance

Dear Temperance,

First, bear in mind that I have not examined you, but I can give you some general advice. If you have an active infection, then you would need to get the root canal treatment. Here are some of the signs that your infection is active:

If you have pain in the tooth or gums. This does include minor pain.
If it had been hurting recently, but has stopped.
If there is discharge or a pimple on your gums. This is an abscessed tooth.

If they’re not happening now, keep an eye out for them. Any of those would mean you need to get that root canal treatment done. I’d schedule an urgent care dental appointment. Most dentists leave room in their schedule for these type of things. It doesn’t have to be today, but I wouldn’t put it off too long because these infections spread.

If it is not hurting and hasn’t for a while, then you have a latent infection and can put off the treatment. Bear in mind, that even a latent infection can have an impact on your general health. I don’t mean this in an alarming or dangerous way. But, it does have an impact on how you feel. I’ve known patients who had latent infections for years and, uniformly, after they finally dealt with it, they mentioned they felt better in general.

I’m not saying that to pressure you. It is fine if you want to put it off and you feel fine enough to keep up with things. I just realize you have a tough schedule and don’t want you having anything holding you back. That being said, a latent infection can be put off.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.
Click here to learn about dental sedation.

Is a Cracked Crown a Dental Emergency

Posted on July 16, 2025 by writeradmin.

When I first got my crowns like about fifteen years ago, one of them had a slight defect. I couldn’t tell, but my dentist told me about it. He said that they’re fairly common, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Something has since changed. I can now see and feel the defect. It is a bit like a crack that I can feel with my tongue. It is horizontal. I’m not sure if this crack is considered a dental emergency or not. I’m sure it needs to be replaced. I just don’t know if it needs to be replaced right away or if it can wait. There are six crowns in total. Do I need to replace all of them at once or just the one that is having the problem?

Alana

Dear Alana,

These tiny defects are called craze lines. Your dentist is right that they are fairly common. They are not usually a problem, but it is obvious that yours has changed. You can now see and feel the crack. At some point this dental crown will fail. I would not call it a dental emergency where you would need to get in today, but I would go ahead and schedule an appointment with your dentist to get this replaced.

As to whether you need to replace all of them or just replace the cracked one, that depends. Your crowns are all 15 years old. My suggestion is that you just ask them to evaluate the health of the crowns. If they’re all fine except that one, then you have a couple of options. You could just replace the damaged one and then deal with the others as needed or you could do them all at once and be done with them. If a dentist tells you that you need to replace all of them in order to get them to match, that is a problem with the dentist. Any skilled cosmetic dentist would be able to match a single porcelain crown to the remainder of your teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

Review of Premium Home Whitening

Posted on June 16, 2025 by writeradmin.

Can you tell me if Premium Home Whitening will work as well as the stuff I get at the dentist? I’m looking to whiten my teeth fast for a special event, but am hoping to avoid schedule a dental appointment.

Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,

I’m glad you wrote. The Premium Home Teeth Whitening does have a valid whitening ingredient. However, even with that, it is not going to be as effective as the professional teeth whitening you get with your dentist.

The biggest issue for it is the trays. When you have teeth whitening done with your dentist, they should custom fit teeth whitening trays to your bite. The trays you get with the kit will not be fit to your bite. That means that some gel will escape the tray. That weakens the effectiveness of the gel because there is less gel. It is also weakened because your saliva gets into the tray, which dilutes it.

There is a secondary issue with the gel getting out of the tray. That means it can get onto your gums, which can cause irritation. There is even one case I know of where someone ended up needing a root canal treatment as a result of over the counter teeth whitening products.

The most effective and safe teeth whitening is what you would get from your dentist. If you’re looking for something super fast because of an upcoming event, then I would like to recommend that you look into Zoom Whitening. This is an in-office teeth whitening that can get your teeth very white in just one appointment. Any dentist can do either types of these whitening procedures if they offer it.

If you’re looking for something more, like a complete smile makeover, then I would suggest you look into porcelain veneers. These can change anything about your smile, including the shape, size, and color. However, veneers are a very advanced cosmetic procedure that requires extensive post-doctoral training and an artistic eye. I would make sure whatever cosmetic dentist you had do them are AACD accredited.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

Why Is My Dentist Giving Me Dentures With Dental Implants?

Posted on May 28, 2025 by writeradmin.

I have had ugly dentures for years. My neighbor has dental implants and they look fantastic. I told my dentist and he said I could get dental implants but I’d need another procedure called bone grafting. Then, we’ll do the implants. After that has time to heal, then he’ll place dentures. I thought I was trying to get away from dentures to get a pretty smile. When I told him that, he said my friend probably has dentures too because that it what you use with dental implants. Is that true? If so, how do I get pretty ones?

Lisa

Dear Lisa,

I’m glad you wrote. When you’re getting an entire set of dental implants, the standard is to anchor dentures to them. There is another option of getting an individual crown on each tooth. However, that is prohibitively expensive for most people. But, don’t worry, the dentures can be beautiful. In fact, your previous dentures could have been beautiful, too. How your smile looks depends on the cosmetic skill of the dentist not whether or not they are dentures or crowns.

If this is the same dentist who did your original dentures, then you won’t like the next ones either. In that case, I would get your implants done with someone else. You’ll want someone with post-doctoral training placing dental implants, as well as in cosmetic dentistry.

You can start by finding an expert in dental implants and then looking at their cosmetic skills. Or, you can flip it around. The best cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited. They are in the top 1-3% in world when it comes to creating beautiful smiles. As for dental implants, if you look at Dr. Rothwell’s bio, you get an idea of what type of training you’re looking for there.

Benefits of Dental Implants

You may now be wondering if it is worth the cost of getting bone grafting done and dental implants if you can just pretty dentures made. It really is. I don’t know if your dentist warned you about the serious downside of dentures when you first got them, but the biggest issue you will face is facial collapse.

When your teeth were first removed, your body recognized that and began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them elsewhere in your body, where they will be more useful. This is an amazingly efficient system in resource allotment. However, as the minerals are moved elsewhere, your jawbone begins to shrink. Eventually, there will no longer be enough of your jawbone left to even keep your dentures in place, leaving you a denture cripple and unable to eat solid foods.

Getting dental implants signals to your body that you still have teeth and it will leave your jawbone completely intact, preventing facial collapse. Plus, even the best fitting dentures reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. Once you have your dentures anchored to your implants, you will be able to eat anything you want.

This blog is brought to you Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

Why Do I Need Root Canals After My Smile Makeover?

Posted on April 29, 2025 by writeradmin.

I had a smile makeover done. My dentist gave me veneer crowns on my top and bottom teeth. Ten on each. There was some pain after he put the permanent ones on but he made some adjustments and that helped. Then, a few weeks later, I developed abscesses on two of the teeth. He x-rayed them and said the nerves died and I need to get root canals done on those teeth. He referred me to an endodontist. When I went to see him, that dentist found four more teeth that have nerve damage and I’ll need to get root canals on those as well. I’ve got a couple of other teeth that have started bothering me. I’m worried that this is going to be an ongoing problem. I went to see my original dentist to find out what is going on. He said this was a very rare thing that is happening and I must have unusual teeth. Though, he has offered to pay for half the cost of the root canals. Do you think this is going to happen with all of the teeth? Is this rare or something he should have warned me about ahead of time?

Mary Ellen

Dear Mary Ellen,

I want to clear up something. You said you received veneer crowns, but those are two different things. There are dental crowns and there are porcelain veneers, but there are not veneer crowns. Above, you will see an image showing the two different types of tooth preparation. When teeth are prepped for veneers hardly any tooth structure is removed, a few millimeters at most. Dental crowns, which wrap around your tooth completely, require more grinding for tooth preparation.

I don’t know if your dentist told you that you were getting veneers and gave you crowns or if you just misunderstood the terminology. Either way, it sounds like your dentist gave you dental crowns. The prep for porcelain veneers is so minimal that nerve damage would be very rare. With dental crowns, there is a greater risk because there could be pulp exposure which can lead to an infection.

The standard procedure for a smile makeover is to get veneers. If your dentist gave you crowns and your teeth didn’t have extensive decay that would require crowns, I question why he went that route. It could be that he didn’t know how to do veneers. The fact that he offered to pay for half the root canals, hints at him feeling guilty about this. I would ask him to cover the total cost of the root canal treatments.

I’m sorry this happened to you.
This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

Bonding Looks Awful

Posted on March 31, 2025 by writeradmin.

My daughter (11 years old) fell and took out a chuck of her two front teeth. The edges or outline were okay, but the middle was pretty much knocked out. Her pediatric dentist suggested dental crowns on those two teeth. I wasn’t crazy about that idea so I took her to my general dentist. He suggested dental bonding. I liked that idea better, but it looks absolutely awful. It’s uneven (like bumpy) and the color doesn’t even match the rest of the tooth, let alone the teeth next to them. She’s humiliated and dreads going to school every day. Did we do the wrong procedure? Should we have gotten crowns?

Emily

Dear Emily,

Dental bonding was the correct procedure for this. The problem lies in the skill of your dentist. This is not a procedure that your average family dentist could do well. Dental bonding is an advanced cosmetic procedure, made even tougher by the fact that it has to be done freehand. I think she needs an expert cosmetic dentist to redo her dental bonding.

If it is as bad as it sounds, your dentist should have the integrity to recognize that and offer a refund. When you replace it, have it done by an AACD accredited dentist. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. They can give her a beautiful, natural looking result that blends in seamlessly with the rest of her teeth, similar to the picture above.

Do not do dental crowns. I’m concerned that her pediatric dentist suggested that. First, the pulp of the tooth in an 11-year-old is large and close to the surface. Doing a crown on it can damage the tooth pulp, which will markedly complicate the procedure and lead to the need for a root canal treatment. Additionally, her teeth, bite, and jaw are still developing. She’ll quickly outgrow that dental crown leaving gaps and exposing her to serious decay risk, not to mention looking weird, unless you replace it every couple of years. A good pediatric dentist should understand this.

I’d focus on getting her bonding replaced. Then, you can decide if it’s also beneficial to look for a better pediatric dentist for her.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

A Failed Dental Implant

Posted on February 28, 2025 by writeradmin.

I had a dental implant placed. The procedure itself was a bit of a nightmare. Even just the Novocain was something I do not want to repeat. It felt like the shot went through my jaw completely. I also had trouble getting numb. Since the appointment, I have had horrible burning on my tongue and the inside of my mouth. Every follow up appointment and new part of the procedure I told him that I was still having the burning. At first he said it would pass. Eventually, he told me that it was probably a case of thrush and gave me a prescription, but that did not do anything. A few weeks after that I started feeling bad and the crown fell off. I went back and he put it back on. Then, the dental implant started feeling loose. When I went in, he told me that I had an infection and the implant needed to come out. Now he wants me to get a dental bridge instead. Yet, he’s not offering me any money back on everything that went wrong. Can I take him to court?

James

Dear James,

Let’s start with the burning mouth issue and trouble getting numb. Often times, people with some amount of dental anxiety will have trouble getting numb. Don’t feel bad about that. The good news is there is a solution for that issue, which is quite simple. Going to a sedation dentist will allow you to take a medication that will completely relax you. This will keep your body from burning off the numbing medication too quickly.

This could also be connected to the burning you are feeling. While we don’t know definitively what the cause is for burning mouth syndrome, there have been several dentists who have made a connection with those symptoms following a traumatic dental appointment, which yours would certainly qualify as being.

As for taking him to court, it does sound like your dentist made quite a few mistakes here. First, there is the problem with the injection. Then, the misdiagnosis of thrush, the crown falling off, and the failed dental implant itself. That being said, the only way to get anywhere in court with this is to prove he is at fault. For that, you will need another dentist to testify on your behalf.

I’d start by getting a second opinion from a dentist with post-doctoral training in dental implants. Don’t tell them who did the work. Just ask them to take a look at things and give their opinion. If needed, your dentist is ethically obligated to provide all diagnostics and notes.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

What Type Of Veneers Should I Get?

Posted on January 31, 2025 by writeradmin.

I have a set of porcelain veneers but have always been disappointed by them. I want to replace them with veneers that will have a much more aesthetic look. I’ve done consultations with several cosmetic dentists and keep getting different recommendations. One suggested Lumineers; another e.max crowns. Another zirconia. The final one suggested feldspathic. Now I’m completely confused as to which to use. Do you have a preference on these? I do know enough to discount the Lumineers.

Cindy

Dear Cindy,

I’m glad you wrote. While you are discounting the dentist suggesting Lumineers, please also discount the dentist offering dental crowns. Generally, a dentist offers crowns instead of veneers because they have not been trained in veneers. This does not bode well for you, plus it is a major overtreatment which will grind down and weaken your teeth.

In answer to your question, I am going to gently request you reframe what you research. The aesthetic result of your current veneers had much less to do with the materials used than the dentist who used them. It isn’t necessarily the materials that create a beautiful result with porcelain veneers, but the skill of the artist using those materials.

Look at it like sculpting. Two artists can be commissioned to sculpt the same thing with the same materials, but the results will not be the same. A gifted artist will give you a gorgeous result. But, a mediocre artist will give you mediocre results.

I would instead look into the skill of each dentist and then let them choose the brand and type of veneer. They will know the strength and weaknesses of each brand. Which they choose will depend on what you were wanting to do with your smile makeover.

So, how do you find those skilled, artistic cosmetic dentists? The easiest way would be to look for a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). In order to become an AACD accredited dentist, which is different from membership, a dentist has to pass stringent exams as well as demonstrate their artistry before an examination board. These are the best cosmetic dentists in the world. In fact, I’d put them in the top 1-3% in the world. They can give you the gorgeous smile you are dreaming of.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

Monday	8:00-5:00
Tuesday	8:00-5:00
Wednesday	8:00-5:00
Thursday	8:00-5:00
Friday	Closed
Saturday	Closed
Sunday	Closed